On a crazy Sunday night in Doha, the Lionel Messi narrative came full circle, concluding in a swansong dreams are made of, as Argentina overcame France (3-3 at the end of extra time, 4-2 on penalties) in probably the greatest final of all time.
Argentina fans celebrate winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup versus France at the Obelisk in Buenos Aires on December 18, 2022.
The narrative started when a 13-year-old kid left his home for Barcelona. It wandered from one beautiful chapter to another as he won trophy after title in Spain and across Europe, collecting Ballon d’Ors by the bucketful along the way. It also has heartbreaks, generally at World Cups, and especially in 2014, when he came within a whisker of that coveted championship.
On a crazy Sunday night in Doha, the Lionel Messi narrative came full circle, concluding in a swansong dreams are made of, as Argentina overcame France (3-3 at the end of extra time, 4-2 on penalties) in probably the greatest final of all time.
Forget about his great club rival Cristiano Ronaldo (it’s true), Messi’s World Cup victory confirmed his position in football’s greatest pantheon, with Diego Maradona and Pele, the two other GOAT (Greatest of All Time) possibilities.
If choosing between Pele and Maradona wasn’t difficult enough, Messi has added a third leg to football’s unanswerable question: Is he ahead of them or behind them? But, tempting as it may be, it’s a bit soon to engage into that discussion.
Apart from his four Champions League wins, ten La Liga titles, one Ligue 1 title, one Copa America, and seven Ballon d’Ors, Messi has 172 internationals, including a record 26 at the World Cup, and 98 goals to his name. It’s a term that Pele got at 17, Diego Maradona at 25, and Kylian Mbappe at 19. Messi may be 35, but he couldn’t ask for more. Messi may have taken his time entering this club, but he has done so.
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He stated on Sunday that he would want to stay with the national team for a little longer before hanging up the white-and-blue shirt. “I want to enjoy becoming the world champion for a few more games,” Messi continued. I enjoy playing football. I value being a member of the group and the national squad, he told sports channel TyC.
The “group,” created so expertly by the other Lionel (Argentina manager Scaloni), has enabled Messi perform at his peak level once more.
Apart from young players like Julian Alvarez, whose photos of him asking for Messi’s autograph in 2012 went viral last week, and Enzo Fernandes, who made headlines for asking Messi not to retire in 2016 on social media, the group also includes Messi’s old friend Angel di Maria and Sergio Aguero, who despite being unable to play at Lusail Stadium due to a heart condition, stepped onto the field to carry Messi on his shoulders.
He is without a doubt the best player in history, and he proved it during the game. He’s been working hard throughout the competition… at his age,” Rodrigo de Paul, another important team member, told ESPN following the victory.
